Asphalt shingle tabber



March 16, 965 M. CHRISTENSEN Y 3,173,155

' ASPHALT SHINGLE TABBER Filed April 15, 1963 F/G. Z.

F/G 3. fl!

IN VEN TOR. MARVIN L. CHRISTENSEN ATTORNEYS United States Patent3,173,166 ASPHALT SHINGLE TABBER Marvin L. Christensen, 3545 MeadowbrookDrive,

Murray, Utah Filed Apr. 15, 1%3, Ser. No. 273,106 8 Claims. (Cl. 545)This invention is concerned with roof shingling, and more particularlywith a machine for rapidly tabbing asphalt shingles in place on a roof.

It has long been common in tabbiug roof shingles to manually raise theoverlapping portion of each individual shingle of a row of shingles,apply an adhesive material therebelow, and return such raisedoverlapping portion to its normal position. This has been a tedious andtime consuming process.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a machine that willprogressively raise the overlapping portions of successive asphaltshingles of a row of same, apply a substantially uniform line of anadhesive material, such as tar, beneath their forward edge margins, andguide them back -to their normal positions, whereby a neat and longlasting roof cover is formed.

A principal feature of the invention is an applicator foot that willraise each successive shingle as it is moved along a row of shingles,and through which adhesive can be uniformly supplied beneath the raisedshingles. The foot preferably comprises a surface engagement means, ashingle supporting surface, a guide wall, and an adhesive applicatorport. The shingle supporting surface is preferably formed in threesections and includes an arcuate center section and blade-typeextensions pivotally connected at each end of the arcuate centersection.

Other features of the invention greatly facilitating the tabbing ofshingles are an extension handle fixed to the applicator foot; a springbiased, normally closed, control valve, positioned in a conduit forsupplying adhesive to the adhesive applicator port; and remote controlmeans -for the valve, operated from the end of the handle opposite theapplicator foot.

There is shown in the accompanying drawing a specific embodiment of theinvention representing what is presently regarded as the best mode ofcarrying out the generic concepts in actual practice. From the detaileddescription of thispresently preferred form of the invention, other morespecific objects and features will become apparent.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the adhesive applicator asused in roofing operations;

FIG. 2, an end elevation of the adhesive applicator;

FIG. 3, a side elevation of the applicator foot; and

FIG. 4, a bottom plan view of the applicator foot.

Referring to the drawing:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment, the adhesive applicator showngenerally at 10 includes a handle 11, a foot 12, a supply conduit 13,and a control valve 14 positioned in the conduit and fixed to handle 11.

A control lever 15 is pivotally mounted adjacent one of the grips 16 ofthe handle, and is connected by wire cable 17 to the free end ofactuating arm 18 of valve 14. Valve 14 may be of any conventional type,but preferably is either a conventional rotary or butterfly valve, witha stem 19 connected to the valve head and extending through the valvehousing. Actuating arm 18 is fixed normal to stem 19, and a coil spring20, having one free end anchored to arm 18, as at 21, and its other freeend anchored, as at 22, to an extension 23 of the valve housing,surrounds the stem and normally biases the valve to closed position.

The wire cable 17 interconnecting the control lever 15 and the actuatingarm 13 passes through one or more 3,173,166 Patented Mar. 16, 1965guides 24, such that when control lever 15 is pivoted toward grip 16,the motion is transmitted through the cable to actuating arm 18, whichis similarly rotated to open valve 14. Spring 20 will rotate theactuating arm back to the valve closed position when the control leveris released.

Supply conduit 13 is connected at one end to a source of adhesive notshown, and adhesive is supplied to the conduit underpressure. The otherend of conduit 13 is connected, as shown, to port 25 of foot 12.

The source of adhesive and pressurizing means, not shown, may forexample, comprise a reservoir and pump unit in conduit 13, or apressurized adhesive container that is either portable or stationary, asdesired.

As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, foot 12 has a surface engagement means inthe form of a narrow bottom runner 26, and an arcuately shaped shinglesupporting surface formed in three sections, 27, 28, and 29. The runnerand the center section 28 of the shingle supporting surface are rigidlyinterconnected by a guide wall 30!, which extends upwardly from therunner and protrudes beyond the top of the center section 28 of theshingle supporting surface.

v Port 25 extends through guide wall 30 between the runner and theshingle supporting surface, and terminates at the edge of the runner, asshown in FIG. 4.

Pivot pins 31 are fixed to guide wall 30 at each end of the centersection 28 and end sections 27 and 2? are pivotally mounted thereon. Asshown, each of the end sections is of blade-like configuration with aguide ear 32 spaced slightly from, but cooperating with, guide wall 30.The plane of each of these cars forms aslight angle with respect to theplane of the guide wall and extends from the end of the guide walloutwardly and away from the free edge 33 of the shingle supportingsurface to avoid damaging the shingles. With this arrangement, as thefoot is moved along a line of shingles on a roof, the overlappingsections of the shingles 34 (FIG. 1) are raised onto the supportingsurface, as will be further explained. The raised edge 34a of eachshingle contacted by guide ears 32 and guide wall 30 will serve as aruling guide to insure a substantially straight line of adhesive beingapplied beneath the shingle.

The end sections extend beyond runner 26 and are biased by coil springs35 into contact with the ends of the runner. In this biased position,the free ends of the blade-like end sections will extend downwardly to apoint below the plane of the runner. Because they are pivotallyconnected at 31, however, the end sections can be pivoted upwardly sothat their undersides 27a and 29a will be at least even with theunderside of runner 26. As thus constructed, when the foot is movedalong a line of shingles, the leading end section will closely followthe roof surface and will drop sufticiently to pass under even lowerthan usual shingles, thereby guiding them onto the shingle supportingsurface.

One end of each of the coil springs 35 is anchored to the center section28, as at 36, and the other end is anchored to a end section at 37.

As the foot is pushed along on runner 26 by an operator grasping grips16 of handle 11, the shingles are successively raised, and held raised,as the shingle sup porting surface of the shoe passes thereunder.Simultaneously with movement of part 25 past each shingle, the controllever 15 is operated to open valve 14 and release a continuous, uniformline of adhesive through conduit 13 and the port. The volume of adhesiveapplied beneath the shingles is controlled by the pressure applied tothe control lever and the resultant degree of opening of valve 14.

After the shingle supporting surface passes from un- 3 der each shingle,it will fall back to the roof and be stuck or tabbed in place.

Because of the similar construction of the pivotally mounted endsections 27 and 29, of the shingle supporting surface, either of themcan be utilized as a leading end section during tabbing operations.Thus, after one leading edge has been used to raise one line of shinglesfor tabbing purposes the handlell can be pivoted with respect to foot 12and. another line tabbed,but with the other end section now serving asthe leading end section; and with the operator moving in the oppositedirection across the roof.

Although the curved threepiece arcuate shingle supporting surface ismost desirable inasmuch as it presents a smooth surface capable ofeasily lifting, sliding beneath, and lowering a shingle, otherconfigurations utilizing, for

example, sloping surfaces with a'peak above port 2S could be used.Similarly, although the surface engagement means has been hereillustrated and described as a runner 26, it is contemplated that forsome uses Wheels or rollers may be found preferable, and it is furthercontemplated that other biasingmeans than the springs 35 may be used.For example, for many uses the weight of the extensions themselves mayprove sufficient to maintain the end sections in engagement with theroof, irrespective of surface irregularities therein.

Whereas there is here illustrated and specifically described a certainpreferred construction of apparatus which is presently regarded as thebest mode of carrying out the invention, it should be understood thatvarious changes may be made and other constructions adopted withoutdeparting from the inventive subject matter particularly pointed out andclaimed herebelow.

I claim:

1. A foot for adhesive applicators comprising: a bottom runner; amultiple-section, shingle-supporting surface extending above said runnerand beyond the ends thereof, said sections of the shingle-supportingsurface beingmovably related; a wall interconnecting said runner andsaid shingle-supporting surface; and an adhesive applicator portextending through said wall between said runner and saidshingle-supporting surface.

2. A foot for adhesive applicators as in claim 1, wherein said shinglesupporting surface is formed in three sections.

3. A foot for adhesive applicators as in claim 2, wherein said threesections include an arcuate center section and blade-like endsections'pivotally connected to said guide Wall and forming extensionsat the ends of said arcuate center section.

4. A foot for adhesive applicators as in claim 3, wherein saidblade-like end sections normally extend from the ends of said arcuatecenter section outwardly and downwar-dly therefrom to a point outwardof, and below the bottom runner; and means normally biasing said endsections against the ends of said bottom runner, said end sections beingpivotal upwardly until the bottoms thereof are positioned above thelevel of the underside of said bottom runner.

5. A foot for adhesive applicators as in claim 3, where in said endsections are each provided with a guide ear extending upwardly thereof,said guide ears cooperating with said guide Wall to insure said footbeing easily guided along the edges of shingles beneath which adhesiveis to be applied.

6. A foot for adhesive applicators, as in claim 4, wherein the wallextends upwardly beyond the shingle-supporting surface to form aguide'for shingles raised by the shingle-supporting surface.

7. A foot for adhesive applicators comprising: a bottom runner; amultiple-section, shingle-supporting surface extending above said runnerand beyond the ends thereof, said sections ofthe shingle-supportingsurface being movably related; means holding said runner and saidshingle supporting surface in spaced relationship; and an adhesiveapplicator port between the runner and the shingle-supporting surface.

8. An adhesive applicator comprising, in combination: foot means forraising shingles and for guiding them back into' lowered position, saidfoot means including a bottom runner, a multiple-section, shinglesupporting surface extending above said runner and beyond the endsthereof, said sections of the shingle-supporting surface being movablyrelated, means holding said runner and said shingle supporting surfacein spaced relationship, and an adhesive applicator port between therunner and shinglesupporting surface; a source of adhesive supply underpressure; conduit means interconnecting said source of adhesive supplyand said adhesive applicator port; valve means in said conduit means forregulating flow of adhesive therethrough; an extension handle pivotallyconnected to the foot for pushing said foot in either of two directions;and operating means for said valve, said operating means being connectedto said handle at the end opposite the foot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNETED STATES PATENTS 3,016,040 1/62Crookston 118-305 X 3,099,582. 7/63 Ongstad et al. l5595 X 3,146,4859/64 Evans et al 15595 FOREIGN PATENTS 578,563 6/59 Canada.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

1. A FOOT FOR ADHESIVE APPLICATORS COMPRISING: A BOTTOM RUNNER; AMULTIPLE-SECTION, SHINGLE-SUPPORTING SURFACE EXTENDING ABOVE SAID RUNNERAND BEYOND THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID SECTIONS OF THE SHINGLE-SUPPORTINGSURFACE BEING MOVABLE RELATED; AS WALL INTERCONNECTING SAID RUNNER ANDSAID SHINGLE-SUPPORTING SURFACE; AND AN ADHESIVE APPLICATOR PORTEXTENDING THROUGH SAID WALL BETWEEN SAID RUNNER AND SAIDSHINGLE-SUPPORTING SURFACE.